Crumb Coffeecake

By norsegal8

This coffeecake is the culmination of a longtime quest to recapture a certain kind of moist, pick-up-with-one-finger, clean-the-plate coffeecake crumb. After a lot of trial and error, we discovered what was missing was a simple technique; to melt the butter before combining it with the sugar and flour. It made all the difference. This coffeecake is downright irresistible.
This recipe will make two 8-inch round coffeecakes, or fill a 9 x 13-inch pan, or a 9 or 10-inch tube pan.

Ingredients

• CRUMB
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnnamon
• 2 sticks butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• CAKE
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Details

Servings 16

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the preferred pans.

2. Crumb: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Melt the butter in the microwave or small saucepan and add the extracts to it. Pour the butter into the flour mixture and mix until all the butter is absorbed and you have a uniformly moistened crumb mixture. Set aside while you make the cake batter.

3. Batter: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat between additions. Scrape down the mixing bowl, then beat in the vanilla and sour cream. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder together. Add the butter/sour cream mixture, mixing until evenly combined. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan. Crumble the crumb mixture over the top, until the batter is completely covered. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for 8-inch rounds, 30 to 35 minutes for a 9 x 13-inch pan, or 35 to 40 minutes for a 9- or 10-inch tube pan. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

4. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a rack; dust the top with confectioner's sugar, if desired.